Understanding Fuel Economy — “Gas” Mileage
Thermal efficiency, compression ratio, and fuel density are the primary factors that determine the fuel efficiency — a.k.a. fuel economy — of an engine. If mounted in a car, pick up, truck, boat, ship, a piece of heavy equipment, etc., even more, variables come into play with respect to the fuel
Diesel vs Gas: Which Fuel Best for the Environment and Which is best for the Wallet
Diesel vs gas and which is better for the environment is a debate that has taken center stage in many scientific communities and political circles around the world. The reason being, there is a massive discrepancy between the number of diesel passenger vehicles in the U.S. versus the rest of the wor
Refining Processes of Diesel vs Gasoline
The refining processes of diesel vs gasoline begin with the separation of each from crude oil. The separation of diesel and gasoline hydrocarbons from crude oil occurs during the distillation process. Straight-run diesel and straight-run gasolines are the gasoline and diesel products that come out o
Heavy Equipment Costs: Breaking Down Owning and Operating Costs
Heavy equipment costs fall under one of two categories. One category indicates how much it costs to purchase (finance), protect (insure) and legalize (permit and registrar) heavy equipment and machinery. The second category includes the costs associated with operating and maintaining a machine: fuel
Differences Between Diesel, Fuel Oil, Bunker Fuel, and Similarities
The differences between diesel, fuel oil, and bunker fuel are hydrocarbons. Specifically, the difference is in the size and length of the hydrocarbons in each fuel. Hydrocarbons comprise the overwhelming majority of the components in fossil fuels — and in biofuels as well for that matter. Everythi
Diesel vs Biodiesel: Which is better for the Environment and Why?
Diesel versus biodiesel, which is better for the environment? The answer to the question seems to have an obvious answer. The names alone indicate which is better for the environment, right? The prefix “bio” implies that biodiesel is inherently clean. Not only does the name imply biodiesel is cl
What is in Diesel and How is Diesel Made from Crude Oil
“What is in diesel?” is a question with two answers, one very short and the other very long. The short answer is hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons, as the name implies, are molecules made of hydrogen and carbon atom bonds. Hydrocarbons are the components of every fossil fuel — and biofuel — that ma
Gasoline Versus Diesel Engines: A Fuel Efficiency Comparison
Gasoline vs diesel engines — with respect to fuel efficiency — is not even a debate. Unlike in Europe and the vast majority of the rest of the developed world, it is not uncommon for people in the United States to be unaware that diesel is a better fuel than gasoline with respect to fuel [&helli
Diesel Emissions: What They Are and What Are Their Consequences
Diesel emissions recently made headlines when it was discovered automobile manufacturers were cheating diesel emissions tests. In 2015, evidence surfaced that Volkswagen was cheating on diesel-engine emissions tests. According to the Financial Times, John German — a senior fellow at the Internatio
Latest Advances in Diesel Technology And What is To Come
Diesel, in relation to other fossil fuels, is an exceptionally dense fuel. There are a variety of properties that are inherent in dense fuels. Because of the inherent properties of diesel, diesel engines are extremely energy efficient both respect to combustion efficiency and thermal efficiency. H